Earlier, the government employees should have rendered at least seven years of service in case of death so that the family could get the enhanced family pension at 50 per cent of the last pay drawn.

Now, even with less than seven years of service, families, in case of death, will get enhanced family pension.

President Ram Nath Kovind approved the amendment to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, according to a government notification.

These rules -- called as the Central Civil Services (Pension) Second Amendment Rules, 2019 -- will come into force from October 1, 2019.

"Whereof a government servant who died within ten years before the 1st day of October, 2019, without completing, continuous service of seven years, his family shall be eligible for family pension at enhanced rates in accordance with sub-rule (3) with effect from the 1st day of October, 2019, subject to fulfilment of other conditions for grant of family pension," according to the notification.

"For the purpose of death gratuity, the final amount of the death gratuity shall be determined by the Head of Office on the acceptance and verification of the entire spell of service by him within a period of six months from the date on which the authority for the payment of provisional death gratuity was issued and the balance, if any, becoming payable as a result of determination of the final amount of death gratuity shall then be authorised to the beneficiaries," it said.

The government felt that the need for family pension at enhanced rate is more in the case of a government servant who dies early in his career, as his pay at the initial phase of service is much less, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said in a statement.

"The government has, therefore, amended Rule 54 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 by a notification dated 19th September, 2019. As per the amended Rule 54, the family of a government servant, who dies within seven years of joining service, will also be eligible for family pension at enhanced rate of 50 per cent of last pay drawn, for a period of 10 years," it said.

"However, the families of government servants who died before completion of service of seven years within 10 years before 1st October, 2019, will also be eligible for family pension at enhanced rates with effect from 1st October, 2019," it added.